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Abstract:

A connector for electrical and mechanical interconnection of first and
second mechanically adjacent modules with one another. The first module
includes a first electrical connector and an alignment pin and the second
module includes a printed circuit board floatingly and displacably
mounted on the second module with at least one alignment hole aligned for
alignment with the alignment pin of the first module and a second
electrical connector aligned for engagement with a corresponding first
electrical connector of the first module. During assembly, the alignment
pin of the first module engages the alignment hole of the second module
and displaces the printed circuit board to align the second electrical
connector with the first electrical connector.

Claims:

1. A connector assembly for electrical and mechanical interconnection of
first and second adjacent modules with one another, the first module
comprising: at least one first electrical connector mounted therein and
aligned along a connection axis between the first and second modules, and
at least one alignment pin aligned along the connection axis between the
first and second modules, and the second module comprising: a circuit
board floatingly connected to the second module for mating with the first
module, the circuit board being displaceable along at least one
orthogonal axis, orthogonal to the connection axis, and the circuit board
comprising at least one alignment hole aligned for engagement with the at
least one alignment pin of the first module, and at least one second
electrical connector aligned for engagement with the at least one first
electrical connector of the first module so that, when the first and
second modules are brought into mechanical connection with each other by
relative movement along the connection axis, the at least one alignment
pin of the first module engages with the at least one alignment hole of
the second module and displaces the printed circuit board of the second
module orthogonally to the connection axis for facilitating alignment and
electrical connection of the at least one second electrical connector of
the second module with the at least one first electrical connector of the
first module.

2. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the first module
is a transmission control module, and the second module is a transmission
display module.

3. The connector assembly according to claim 2, wherein the transmission
display module further includes a display panel connected to the circuit
board and responsive to display control outputs of the circuit board to
programmably display information relating to operation of a transmission,
including at least one of a transmission shift pattern, a current
transmission gear and a current transmission gear ratio.

4. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board
is sandwiched between a plurality of splines and spring elements and is
laterally restrained by side walls of the second module.

5. The connector assembly according to claim 1, wherein the at least one
alignment pin is offset with respect to the at least one first electrical
connector, and the at least one alignment hole is offset with respect to
the at least one second electrical connector.

6. A connector assembly for interconnection of first and second adjacent
modules with one another, the first module comprising: a plurality of
first electrical connectors mounted therein and aligned along a
connection axis between the first and second modules, and an elongate
alignment pin extending along the connection axis between the first and
second modules, and the second module comprising: a circuit board
floatingly retained by the second module for mating with the first
module, the circuit board being captively retained and being displaceable
along at least one orthogonal axis, orthogonal to the connection axis,
and the circuit board comprising an elongate alignment hole aligned for
engagement with the elongate alignment pin of the first module, and a
plurality of second electrical connectors aligned for engagement with a
respective one of the plurality of first electrical connectors of the
first module so that, when the first and second modules are brought into
mechanical connection with one another by relative movement along the
connection axis, the elongate alignment pin of the first module engages
with the elongate alignment hole of the second module and displaces the
printed circuit board of the second module orthogonally to the connection
axis for facilitating alignment and electrical connection of the
plurality of second electrical connectors of the second module with the
plurality of first electrical connectors of the first module.

7. The connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein: the first module
is a transmission control module, and the second module is a transmission
display module.

8. The connector assembly according to claim 7, wherein the transmission
display module further includes a display panel connected to the circuit
board and responsive to display control outputs of the circuit board to
programmably display information relating to operation of a transmission,
including at least one of a transmission shift pattern, a current
transmission gear and a current transmission gear ratio.

9. The connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein the circuit board
is sandwiched between a plurality of splines and spring elements and is
laterally restrained by side walls of the second module.

10. The connector assembly according to claim 6, wherein the elongate
alignment pin is offset with respect to the plurality of first electrical
connectors, and the elongate alignment hole is offset with respect to the
plurality of second electrical connectors.

Description:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a connector assembly for assisting
with mechanical and electrical interconnection of adjacent modules with
one another and, in particular, for the electrical interconnection of a
display module with a mechanically adjacent control module.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Many electrical and mechanical systems are constructed on a module
basis. That is, related functions or groups of related functions of a
system are implemented in separate modules which are then electrically
and/or mechanically interconnected with one another so as to cooperate in
performing the various functions and operations of the system.

[0003] An example of such is a transmission system for a motor vehicle in
which the system may include a transmission control module and a
transmission display module. In such systems, the transmission control
module is typically responsive to driver inputs for selecting gear change
operations of the vehicle by, for example, a shift lever, and possibly in
response to inputs from other modules of the vehicle indicating
parameters such as the vehicle speed and the gas pedal inclination and/or
movement, and generating corresponding electrical/electronic, hydraulic
and/or mechanical control outputs in response to the same to assist with
controlling the vehicle transmission. In many systems, the control module
is a program controlled processor based system which can control a
desired array of transmissions by corresponding variations in the
computer program incorporated within the control module.

[0004] The transmission display module, in turn, may include a general
purpose display panel, such as a liquid crystal display panel or a light
emitting diode screen, which receives display control outputs from the
control module indicating, for example, the transmission shift pattern
for the specific transmission installed within the vehicle, transmission
operations and status such as a currently engaged gear or gear ratio, a
brake status, and/or vehicle operating status indications, such as engine
speed, temperature, oil pressure, etc. The use of a general purpose
display with the specific display symbols and elements display thereon
being controlled by programs in the transmission control module again
allows a single display module to be used in conjunction with a fairly
wide array of possible transmissions and readily tailored to the
individual transmission by corresponding alterations/variations in the
transmission control module programs. In many instances, the display
panel may be mounted in association with the driver input controls to the
transmission control module with, for example, the transmission shift
lever extending through an opening in the display panel that corresponds
to a generic shift pattern for the various transmissions that may be
installed in the vehicle.

[0005] A recurring problem with such modular systems, however, arises from
the need to electrically and/or electronically interconnect the various
modules of the vehicle systems with one another, which typically requires
various forms of vehicle interconnection buses, module-to-module buses
and/or wiring harnesses and connectors. Such interconnections typically
require the interconnection of wiring harnesses, cables, buses and/or
connectors which, in turn, result in increases system costs and
complexity and generally reduces the connection reliability due to the
possibly failure of the interconnection components, such as cables and
connectors, in adverse environments, such as in a vehicle.

[0006] It is generally recognized that the need for wiring harnesses,
cables, buses and/or connectors for connecting some components together
cannot be avoided in certain situations, such as in the case of modules
that are physically separated from one another, but it is advantageous if
physically adjacent modules could be directly interconnected with one
another, thereby eliminating the need to have additional wiring
harnesses, buses and/or connectors for forming the associated
connection(s) between such mechanically adjacent modules.

[0007] The prior art has made various attempts at providing a mechanism
for directly electrically and electronically interconnecting mechanically
adjacent modules of a system with one another, all of which have suffered
from one or more significant problems and/or drawbacks. For example,
mechanically adjacent modules of a system, including electrically and
electronically interconnected modules, are also typically constructed
also be mechanically interconnected, such as by having mating parts or
casing that interlock in one manner or another, or by mechanical
connectors such as bolts, screws, etc.

[0008] A recurring problem with the direct electrical interconnection of
such mechanically interconnected modules by, for example, directly mating
electrical connectors mounted on the modules arises, however, from the
tolerances or "play" necessary and inherent for joining mechanical
components with one another and, in particular, the potential ranges of
cumulative tolerances of the connected modules. That is, all mechanical
components which interconnect with one another inherently have a range of
tolerances and when assembling modules with one another and/or with other
components, the tolerances of the various components can be cumulative
thereby rendering it more difficult to accurately and reliably assemble
components, such system modules, with one another. The cumulative total
tolerance(s), of the components within a given assembly, may be
significantly greater than the tolerance ranges of the individual
components of the modules, and thereby possibly prevent the correct
mechanical mating connection of two modules with one another. In the case
of electrical or electronic connections between adjacent modules, the
component tolerances, including the cumulative tolerances on the
mechanical mating elements of two modules and their cumulative tolerances
for the electrically or electronically mating elements, such as
electrical connectors of various types, may individually or in
combination with one another prevent an adequate electrical connection of
the electrical connectors of the two modules with one another or may
possibly result in damage to the electrical connections when such
connection is attempted.

[0009] Certain prior systems, such as described in EP 0 995 931 B2 and DE
102 11 968.6 (corresponding U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0214492 A1),
for example, have attempted to solve the problems of electrical
interconnections between adjacent modules by, for example, the use of
flexible connections, such as cables, flexible buses, and wiring
harnesses mating with connectors on one or both modules, as discussed
above. Other systems of the prior art have, for example, imposed
restrictions on the mechanical tolerances of and between components so
that the cumulative tolerances of the components fall within an
acceptable range of tolerance(s). This procedure, however, requires
significantly higher precision, during the manufacturing process of the
mechanical components, and thus raises the associated costs of the
various components, which is generally to be avoided.

[0010] The present invention provides a solution to the above noted
problems, as well as other related problems associated with the prior art
systems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention is directed to a connector assembly for
electrical and mechanical interconnection of first and second
mechanically adjacent modules with one another. The first module includes
at least one first electrical connector mounted therein and aligned along
a connection axis between the first module and second modules and at
least one alignment pin aligned along the connection axis between the
first and second modules. The second module includes a printed circuit
board floatingly mounted to the second module so as to be displaceable
along at least one orthogonal axis, orthogonal to the connection axis.
The printed circuit board includes at least one alignment hole aligned to
be engaged with a corresponding one of the at least one alignment pin of
the first module. The second module further includes at least one second
electrical connector aligned to be engaged with a corresponding one of
the at least one first electrical connector of the first module.
According to the present invention, when the first and second modules are
brought into mechanical connection with each other along the connection
axis, the at least one alignment pin of the first module engages the
corresponding at least one alignment hole of the second module and
displaces the printed circuit board of the second module orthogonally to
the connection axis to properly align the at least one second electrical
connector with a corresponding one of the at least one first electrical
connector of the first module.

[0012] In a present embodiment of the invention, the first module is a
transmission control module and the second module is a transmission
display module. In this embodiment, the transmission display module
includes a display panel connected with the printed circuit board, the
display panel being responsive to display control outputs of the printed
circuit board to programmably display information relating to operation
of a transmission, including at least a transmission shift pattern and
current transmission gear ratio.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The invention will now be described, by way of example, with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0014] FIG. 1 is an isometric top view of a control module mechanically
and electrically interconnected with a display module, prior to
installation of the display panel;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a top assembly isometric view of a control module
mechanically and electrically interconnected with a display module;

[0016]FIG. 2A is an exploded isometric view of the pin and connectors of
the transmission control module for FIG. 2;

[0017]FIG. 3 is a lower assembly isometric view of the control module
mechanically and electrically interconnected with a display module;

[0018]FIG. 4 is top plan view of showing the display module mechanically
and electrically interconnected with the control module, prior to
installation of the display panel;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view, along section line 5-5 of FIG. 4,
showing the interconnection of the display module to the control module;

[0020]FIG. 6 is bottom plan view of showing the display module
mechanically and electrically interconnected with the control module;

[0021]FIG. 6A is a cross sectional view along section line 6A-6A of FIG.
6 showing springs for biasing the circuit board away from a base of the
transmission display module and the mating splines for permitting the
circuit board to float;

[0022]FIG. 6B is an exploded view of FIG. 6A showing the captive
retention of the circuit board within the transmission display module;
and

[0023]FIG. 6C is a diagrammatic isometric view showing engagement between
a retaining clip and a respective "U" shaped element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] The following describes the connection system, according to the
present invention, for electrical and mechanical interconnection of
adjacent first and second modules with one another. In this embodiment,
the exemplary connection system comprises a transmission control module
which is mechanically and electrically interconnected with the adjacent
transmission display module.

[0025] With reference to FIG. 1, a module assembly 10 for a system, such
as a transmission control and display system 12 for a transmission 14 of
a vehicle, is shown in which a transmission control module 16 is
mechanically and electrically interconnected with a transmission display
module 18. As generally shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 2A, 3 and 4, the
transmission control module 16 is typically responsive to a driver input
for selecting a gear change operation(s) for the vehicle by, for example,
a shift lever 28 (see FIG. 2), and possibly in response to one or more
other inputs received from other modules of the vehicle indicating
vehicle operating parameters such as the vehicle speed and/or the gas
pedal position/movement, and generating corresponding
electrical/electronic, hydraulic and/or mechanical control outputs 20
(only diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1) for controlling the vehicle
transmission. The transmission control module 16 may be, for example, a
program controlled processor based system which can be implemented with a
fairly wide range of transmissions 14 by corresponding alterations,
variations or modifications of the computer program(s) operating within
and controlling the transmission control module 16.

[0026] The transmission display module 18, in turn, is controlled by
display control outputs 26 (only diagrammatically shown in FIG. 2)
generated by the transmission control module 16 and may include a program
controlled processor which is controlled by the display control outputs.
The transmission display module 18 includes an exterior display panel
cover 22 which supports a general purpose display panel 24, such as a
liquid crystal display panel or a light emitting diode screen,
electrically coupled with and controlled by transmission display module
18 in response to the display control outputs 26 received from the
transmission control module 16, and possible control inputs received from
other modules indicating, for example, a brake status or vehicle
operating status indications, such as engine speed, engine temperature,
engine oil pressure, etc. The display shown on the display panel 24 will
typically include, for example, the transmission shift pattern for the
specific transmission 14 installed within the vehicle, transmission
operations and status such as the currently engaged gear and/or gear
ratio, the brake status, and/or vehicle operating status indications,
such as engine speed, temperature and oil pressure. As discussed, the
driver transmission input control, such as a transmission shift lever 28,
may be mounted in close proximity to the display panel 24 and the
transmission display module 18 with, for example, the transmission shift
lever 28 passing through a transmission shift pattern opening 30 formed
within the display panel cover 22 carrying the display panel 24. The
other end of the transmission shift lever 28 is connected or coupled to
the transmission in a conventional manner. The display panel cover 22
includes an outer housing 22A and an inner housing 22B that are fixedly
secured to one another in a conventional manner. The display panel cover
22 is secured to the transmission display module 18 by a plurality of "U"
shaped elements 22D which are integral with a bottom surface of the
display panel cover 22 and mate with corresponding retaining clips 46 of
the transmission display module 18, and a further detail discussion
concerning the same will follow below.

[0027] As discussed, the use of a general purpose display panel 24 with
the specific display symbols and feature displayed thereon is controlled
by at least one program contained within transmission control module 16,
and possibly also one or more programs residing in the transmission
display module 18. This flexibility allows a single transmission display
module 18 to be used in conjunction with a wide array or range of
possible transmissions 14 and easily tailored to suit the specific
transmission 14 installed within the vehicle by corresponding
modifications and/or variations in the computer program(s) installed
within the transmission control module 16.

[0028] Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 2A, 3, 4 and 5 and briefly considering
the primary problem addressed by the present invention in providing an
aligning mechanism by which a first system module, such as a transmission
control module 16, may be directly electrically connected with a second
system module, such as a transmission display module 18, to which the
first system module is mounted. As indicated therein, the transmission
display module 18 is electrically and mechanically mounted to the
transmission control module 16 by relative movement of those two modules
16, 18 along a connection axis A (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 3). The
corresponding interconnecting mechanical elements of the transmission
control module 16 and the transmission display module 18 as well as the
associated electrical connectors 34, 38 are accordingly oriented and
aligned with one another so as to properly mate with one another when the
transmission control module 16 and the transmission display module 18 are
brought into full engagement with one another by relative movement of the
two modules 16, 18 toward one another along the connection axis A.

[0029] As generally indicated in FIGS. 1 and 4, the mechanical tolerances
of and between the component comprising both the transmission display
module 18 and the transmission control module 16 are such that one or
more of the components of the transmission display module 18 may be
mechanically displaced with respect to a remainder of the transmission
display module 18 along either, or both, of the lateral orthogonal axes B
and C, each of which lie in a common plane and extends orthogonal to the
connection axis A as well as orthogonal to one another. As a result of
such displacement of the at least one component, in this instance the
printed circuit board 32, the mechanical and electrical connecting
elements 34 of the transmission display module 18 are thereby
sufficiently displaced or moved so as to be properly aligned with the
corresponding female of male connector(s) 38 of the transmission control
module 16 and achieve a secure and reliable electrical connection
therewith. In order to facilitate movement of the printed circuit board
32 with respect to a remainder of the transmission display module 18,
e.g., along either, or both, of the lateral orthogonal axes B and C, the
printed circuit board 32 is captively but "floatingly" mounted with
respect to a remainder of the transmission display module 18. That is,
the printed circuit board 32 is secured to the transmission display
module 18 while still being able to be displaced or moved over a limited
range of movement within the common plane, with the limited range of
movement generally being greater than the cumulative total tolerances of
the transmission control module 16 and the transmission display module
18.

[0030] With reference now to FIGS. 1, 3, 6, 6A, 6B and 6C, the captively
but "floatingly" mounting of the printed circuit board 32 within the
transmission display module 18 will now be briefly discussed. The side
walls 47 of the module and one or more lateral retainers 41 define an
interior space of the transmission display module 18 for accommodating
the circuit board 32. As shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and 6A, a base surface 42 of
the transmission display module 18 has a plurality of spring elements 44
which project at an angle relative to the base surface 42 and are
arranged for biasing an undersurface of the printed circuit board 32 away
from the base surface 42.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, 6A, 6B, and 6C for example, a plurality of
retaining clips 46 are formed on along a perimeter of an inwardly facing
surfaces of the side wall 47 of the transmission display module 18. Each
one of these retaining clips 46 has an inwardly directed tapering surface
46T which is located for engaging with a respective "U" shaped element
22D which is integral with and extends from the underside of the display
panel cover 22 (see FIG. 6C for example). In addition, the underside of
the display panel cover 22 also has a plurality of spaced apart
protrusions/splines 22C that are integral with and extend generally
normal to the underside of the display panel cover 22. A free end of each
plurality of protrusions/splines 22C is preferably rounded and engages
with an upper surface of the circuit board 32 so as to uniformly space
the circuit board 32 away from the display panel cover 22.

[0032] Due to this arrangement, once the circuit board 32 is accommodated
within the interior space of the transmission display module 18, the
display panel cover 22 is then moved along the connection axis A toward
the base surface 42 to close the transmission display module 18. During
such movement, each respective "U" shaped element 22D eventually engages
with and rides along the tapered surface 46T of the respective retaining
clip 46 and is gradually biased inwardly until the respective "U" shaped
element 22D finally extends a distance slightly past and "clears" the
respective retaining clip 46. At that instance, the respective "U" shaped
element 22D instantly moves slightly outwardly and thus captively engages
with the stop surface 48 of the retaining clip 46. Such engagement
generally permanently retains the display panel cover 22 in engagement
with the transmission display module 18. Following such engagement
between the display panel cover 22 and the transmission display module
18, the spring elements 44 are compressed somewhat so as to bias the
printed circuit board 32 against the plurality of spaced apart
protrusions/splines 22C whereby the printed circuit board 32 is
sandwiched therebetween. In addition, the side walls 47 and the one or
more lateral retainers 41 limit lateral movement of the printed circuit
board 32 along the orthogonal axes B and C. That is, the
protrusions/splines 22C, the spring elements 44, the lateral retainers 41
and the side walls 47 of transmission display module 18 all cooperate
with one another to captively retain the printed circuit board 32 within
the transmission display module 18 while still permitting the printed
circuit board 32 to have a limited range of lateral movement. It is to be
appreciated that the protrusions/splines 22C are located so that the
engagement of the protrusions/splines 22C with upper surface of the
printed circuit board 32 does not negatively impact any operation or
function of the printed circuit board 32.

[0033] As shown in this embodiment, the spring elements 44 are formed
integral with the base surface 42, but it is to be appreciated that the
spring elements could, if so desired, be separate spring elements which
are located between the base surface 42 and the printed circuit board 32.

[0034] If desired, the printed circuit board 32 may also include one or
more alignment slot(s) 50 (see FIG. 4) and the transmission display
module 18 may include a corresponding mating alignment element(s) 52,
each arranged to mate with one another and prevent excessive skewing or
rotation of the printed circuit board 32 relative to the transmission
display module 18 about the connection axis A. As generally shown in FIG.
4 of the drawings, all of the connectors 34 of the circuit board 32 are
all aligned with one another substantially along a vertical plane (not
labeled), extending parallel (or possibly coincident) with the connection
axis A, while the single hole 36 can be slightly offset with respect to
that vertical plane. In addition, as generally shown in FIG. 4 of the
drawings, all of the connectors 38 of the transmission control module 16
are also all aligned with one another substantially along a vertical
plane (not labeled), extending parallel (or possibly coincident) with the
connection axis A, while the alignment pin 40 can be slightly offset with
respect to that vertical plane. Preferably, both the alignment pin 40 and
the mating hole 36 of the circuit board 32 have a sufficient width along
their respective vertical planes (not labeled) so as to facilitate
aligning both of those vertical planes substantially coincident with one
another, as shown in FIG. 4, and achieve the desired mating connection of
all of the connectors 34 with all of the associated mating connectors 38
during the engagement movement of those components along the connection
axis A.

[0035] According to the depicted embodiment, the transmission display
module 18 supports the printed circuit board 32, but it is to be
appreciated that orientation could be reversed. As shown, the printed
circuit board 32 includes at least one male or female electrical
connector 34 (i.e., a plurality of male connectors 34 are generally shown
in FIG. 5) extending along the connection axis A for mating with a
corresponding female or male connector 38 (i.e., a plurality of female
connectors 38 are generally shown in FIG. 5), and a single alignment hole
36 extends completely through the circuit board 32. As noted above, the
circuit board 32 is floatingly mounted to a bottom surface of the
transmission display module 18 so as to allow a limited degree of
movement of the circuit board 32 relative to the transmission display
module 18 along one or both lateral axes B and/or C to allow the
connectors 34 of the transmission display module 18 to be properly
aligned and mated with corresponding mating connectors 38 of the
transmission control module 16 and thereby compensate for any
misalignment between the connectors 34 of the transmission display module
18 and the corresponding connectors 38 of the transmission control module
16. It is to be appreciated that while the circuit board 32 and the
connectors 34 are floatingly supported by the transmission display module
18, the corresponding mating connectors 38 of the transmission control
module 16 are typically fixedly secured to the transmission control
module 16.

[0036] The circuit board 32 further includes conventional wiring and/or
contacts (not labeled) as necessary to connect or couple the associated
connecting pins or sockets of the connectors 34 to other associated
circuitry in the transmission display module 18, thereby fully completing
the electrical and electronic connections between the transmission
control module 16 and the transmission display module 18. In this
respect, it will be noted that the transmission display module 18 will
also include such conventional wiring and/or contacts as necessary to
connect the display panel control outputs of the printed circuit board 32
to corresponding inputs of the display panel 24.

[0037] It will be appreciated that the wiring and/or contacts between the
circuit board 32 and the other circuitry in the transmission display
module 18 will be dependent upon the specific circuitry and mechanical
layout concerned and must accommodate the necessary degree of
displacement and/or movement between the circuit board 32 and the other
elements of the transmission display module 18. For example, a top
surface of the circuit board 32 may be mounted to a bottom surface of the
display panel 24 and, in this embodiment, the connections between the
circuit board 32 and the display panel 24 may take the form of mating
electrical contacts. In other instances, the connections between the
circuit board 32 and the display panel 24 may take the form of, for
example, a wiring harness, a flexible printed circuit board, etc. Various
forms of such connections will be apparent and well known to those of
ordinary skill in the relevant arts, particularly since all such
connections will be located within the transmission display module 18,
rather than between the interface between the transmission display module
18 and the transmission control module 16, and thus are not required to
accommodate the degree of movement required for connections between the
transmission control module 16 and the transmission display module 18

[0038] Referring now to the transmission control module 16 as shown in
FIGS. 1, 2, 2A and 3, as shown therein the transmission control module 16
includes connectors 38 positioned and oriented to mate with the mating
connectors 34 of the transmission display module 18, and an alignment pin
40 which is aligned and oriented so as to mate with corresponding
alignment hole 36 provided in the circuit board 32. According to the
present invention, when the transmission display module 18 and the
transmission control module 16 are initially brought into mechanical
engagement with one another, by relative movement of those two modules
16, 18 along the connection axis A, the alignment pin 40 of the
transmission control module 16 first engages and interacts with the
corresponding alignment hole 36 of the circuit board 32 of the
transmission display module 18. As a result of such interaction between
the alignment pin(s) 40 and the corresponding alignment hole(s) 36, the
circuit board 32 is suitably displaced and/or moved along one or both
lateral orthogonal axes B and/or C so that the connectors 34, 38 are
eventually substantially properly aligned with one another.

[0039] Upon further relative movement of the modules 16, 18 along the
connection axis A toward one another, the connectors 34 of the circuit
board 32 are then brought into electrical contact and engagement with the
corresponding connectors 38 of the transmission control module 16. As a
result of such relative movement of the modules 16, 18 with respect to
one another along the connection axis A, the transmission display module
18 and the transmission control module 16 are automatically, consistently
and precisely brought into electrical connection with one another without
causing any damage to the connectors 34, 38 and/or the circuit board 32.
To assist with achieving proper alignment, it will be appreciated that
the mating alignment elements of the transmission control module 16 and
the transmission display module 18, e.g, the pin(s) 40 and hole(s) 36,
may each be tapered or otherwise shaped and/or contoured to bring about
the desired alignment between the mating elements despite the anticipated
degree of initial misalignment between the connectors 34 and the
connectors 38, and thereby to guide the circuit board 32 and the
connectors 34 into the desired final alignment and engagement with the
connectors 38 of the transmission control module 16. For example, the
alignment pin(s) 40 of the transmission control module 16 may gradually
taper and the corresponding hole(s) 36 of the circuit board 32 may have a
corresponding gradual taper.

[0040] With respect to the engagement between the pin(s) 40 and hole(s)
36, the important aspect is that the engagement between those two
alignment features must accurately and precise align the connectors 34 of
the circuit board 32 with the connectors 38 of the transmission control
module 16, prior to the connectors 34, 38 being moved along the
connection axis A and commencing their engagement with one another.
Accordingly the pin(s) 40 must protrude or extend a sufficient distance
past a leading end of the transmission control module 16 and/or be of a
sufficient number and/or have a non-circular transverse cross-sectional
shape with a sufficient width along a vertical plane, coincident with the
connection axis A, so that as the pin(s) 40 engages with the hole(s) 36,
such engagement achieves a proper and a precise alignment of the
connectors 34 and with each one of the respective connectors 38 before
the connectors 34, 38 commencing engagement with one another by further
movement along the connection axis A.

[0041] Since certain changes may be made in the above described connector
for electrical and mechanical interconnection of adjacent modules without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it
is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description or
shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as
examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shall not be
construed as limiting the invention.